Odd Friendship
by Izout
Summary: An event one night causes an unlikely friendship between the two most unlikely people: Vern Tessio and Ace Merrill.


Disclaimer: Not mines, don't sue.

A/N: An idea that I've had in the back of my head for a while that I feel that I've fleshed out enough. Hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

"So then she says to me, 'Vince I think I'm pregnant.' So I say, 'Well congratulations on your miracle, call me when you reopen for business down there.'" Vince Desjardin was greeted with a chorus of laughter from his fellow Cobras. It was nighttime in Castle Rock and the Cobras were at a bar in the outskirts of Castle Rock, guzzling down pitcher of beer after pitcher of beer, chatting up some girls in an attempt to get lucky, and sharing stories, Clarence 'Frogman' Henry's _Ain't Got No Home_ playing in the background.

"Hey Ace, where you going?" called out an intoxicated Charlie Hogan to their leader. Ace Merrill was stumbling over to the door when Charlie called him.

"Just headin' home." Ace answered before turning around.

"Hey Ace, you sure you don't need any of us to give you a ride? I cou—" Eyeball Chambers offered before being cut off by Ace.

"I don't need no babysitter." Ace told him sharply as Eyeball flinched, but then his features soften. "I'll be okay. I'm still able to drive." Ace answered before stepping out the door. The other Cobras just shrugged their shoulders and resume their activities.

Ace stumbled over to his car and reached into his pockets to get his keys, dropping them onto the ground as he pulled them out.

"Damn it." He grumbled as he picked them up. Opening the car door and closing it, he turned on the ignition, and drove the car the down the road. While driving, Ace found it hard to concentrate on the road due to the effects of the alcohol taking their toll on him. Eventually his vision blurred so badly that he almost ran into a stop sign.

"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Ace muttered as he tried to steer out of the way and ended up crashing into a tree. As he tried to get out, a large tree branch that had been half-broken had finally snapped out and fell right on top of his leg, trapping him.

"You got to be fucking me!" Ace grumbled as he tried to get himself free.

* * *

"Why do I always end up having to get the fire wood?" Grumbled a peeved Vern Tessio as he was walking through the woods in search of more wood. The boys were also in the outskirts of Castle Rock on a camping trip. As the campfire started to get low, the boys decided to do Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would have to go get it. And Vern was the winner.

While walking through the woods, Vern had manage to get a good collection of firewood when he heard a noise in the distance, which made him drop the wood.

"Oh man, I wish Chris had brought the gun." Vern whispered to himself. He froze in his place, looking around to find the source of the noise. When he did hear anything, he bent down to pick up the pieces of wood before hearing that same noise again. He considered just hurryingly picking up the wood and running off back to the campsite, but some part of him was curious and wanted to see what it was.

Perking his ears, Vern slowly walked through the woods, turning his head left and right to try to pinpoint the direction of the noise. As he was walking and getting closer to the noise, he peeked from behind a tree and saw Ace lying on the side of the road, a tree branch on top of his leg and his car a wreck. Watching Ace in great pain and trying to remove a tree branch off him couldn't help but bring a smirk to the chubby boy's face.

_Serve him right._ Vern thought to himself; in his view, this was the perfect karmic punishment for Ace after all the torture he puts him and his friends through. Vern was originally going to turn around and leave Ace be, but then slowly turned his head to look at him again. Ace really did seem like he needed help. And from looking left and right, the road was pretty deserted and it could takes minutes, even hours, before someone would drive by and find him.

_The guys are going to get on me for this._ Gathering all of his courage, the chubby boy walked from behind the tree and walked over to the blond.

* * *

During his struggling, Ace snapped his head when he heard a noise and saw a shadowy figure walking towards. Forgetting the tree branch, Ace went to reach for his pocket knife just in case the figure approaching him was a derange homeless person or a wild animal. When the figure got closer into eyesight, Ace couldn't believe who it was.

"That's Billy's brother Vane or Vere or Vermont or whatever the fuck his name is." Ace whispered under his breath. The chubby boy precautionly walked over the Ace.

"You okay?" Vern asked him.

"Do I look okay?" Ace told him, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Vern winced, but then slowly walked over to the tree branch and grabbed onto it, trying to get a good hold on it. Then, tried to pull it off. "Kid, what are you… it's not going to…" Ace tried to explain to him, but Vern kept trying.

"You really need some help." Vern explained to him. "Plus there's no one else for miles, so…" Vern then tried to life the tree branch again. Ace would never admit it to another soul, but a part of him was a little touch that this kid who he and his gang tormented and terrorized for years would actually try help him.

"Wait," Ace said gruffly, "Here, let me help." While their combined strength wasn't enough to completely remove the tree branch off, it did lift it just enough for Ace to slip his foot through. Afterwards, Ace slowly got himself up and wipe the dirt off his clothes.

"Thanks kid." Ace thanked him, giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

"You're welcome, hey, you wanna—"

"No." Ace simply told him.

"But you didn't let me fi—"

"No, now go."

"But there's no one else for miles." Vern protested. "I really think you should—"

"If you don't get your fat ass out of here, I swear to god, I'm going to carve you up like a Thanksgiving turkey!" Ace practically snarled at him, then slowly soften his features. "I'll be okay. One of my boys will drive by here eventually, just get lost."

Having nothing else to say, Vern just turned around and walked off back into the woods. Ace watched him with one eyebrow raised and sat back down on the ground, suddenly feeling hit with the pain from his leg due to it being trapped under that branch.

* * *

"You did what?!" Shrieked Teddy at the top of his lungs once Vern returned and told the others what had happened. "Vern, don't you know the first rule of warfare? You don't help the enemy!" Teddy exclaimed as he flailed his arms in anger.

"Yeah man, if I was you, I would have left him there for the coyotes to feast on." Chris agreed as stroke the fire to keep it burning.

"I know," Vern let out a heavy sigh as he rested his chin on his knuckle. "But I just figure if one of us help him, maybe he'll let off on us for a bit."

"Forget it Vern." Gordie weighed in. "This is Ace we're talking about."

"Yeah, we could rescue him from a burning building and he still be an asshole to us." Teddy said. Vern just sighed.

"I guess you guys are right." Vern said as the boys resuming their campsite activities.

* * *

Days had passed and nothing much of interest happen until one day at the Tessio household, there was a knock at the front door, and when Billy ran downstairs to answer it he was surprised to see who it was.

"Ace? I wasn't expecting you man. Wha—" Billy didn't get a chance to finish his question as Ace cut him off.

"Your brother here?" Ace asked him, getting straight to the point. Billy nodded. "You gonna let me in?" Billy nodded again and moved aside to let Ace through. Ace walked around the house, scanning for Vern, until he saw his figure sitting on the floor watching TV.

Feeling a presence in the room with him, Vern turned around to look and nearly turned pale when he saw who it was.

"Oh shit." Vern whispered under his breath, than looked around to find any escape routes.

"Relax kid, I ain't going to hurt you." Ace told him, then smirk seeing the fear in Vern's face dissipate. "You doing anything today?"

"Uh… well…" Vern trailed.

"Good, you're coming with me, let's get going." Ace instructed. Vern looked slightly baffled.

"Uh, actually, I think I better stay here." Vern tried to explain. "I got a lot of shows I need to catch up on and my mom wants me to clean my room and—"

"Well, I hear your reasoning, and I'll give you mines," Ace told him nodding his head in understanding before flashing a glare, "Get your fucking ass off the floor and come with me. Now!" Jumping up, Vern quickly obeyed and followed Ace. Billy tried to follow them, but Ace turned around and put his hand forward, stopping him. "It's just me and him." Ace told him before turning around and following Vern, leaving a very confused Billy behind.

* * *

"Hey kid, you can't be in here!" shouted the bartender as he watched Vern step through the entrance. Vern was about to turn around when Ace showed up behind him.

"Relax Jimmy, he's with me."

"Oh, Ace, didn't see you there." Jimmy the bartender quickly said. It wasn't like Jimmy was afraid of Ace or anything, it was just that Ace was his most regular and valued customer and he didn't want to lose the business. "What can I get you boys?"

"I'll take a Primo and give my friend here a Root Beer."

"You got it." Jimmy said as went off to prepare their drinks.

"Tell me Vern, ever played Pool?" Ace asked him while grabbing to pool cues.

"Uh, no, why—" Vern was cut off as Ace chuck a cue at him which he barely caught.

"Try it out." Ace instructed him. After getting at the balls into the triangle, setting them up solid to stripe, and lifting the triangle and putting the white ball a few inches in front of them, Ace had Vern get ready to strike. When Ace saw Vern had a little trouble getting the position right since the table was little high, he grabbed a stool for Vern to use to get better leverage.

"And strike." Ace told him and Vern did, except he missed. "It's okay, try again." Vern tried again, but still missed. "No, here, let me show you." And Ace got over Vern, grabbing his hands, and getting them into the right positions on the stick. Then, he grabbed one of Vern's hands and placed them on the table, telling the different positions he could use to place the end of the stick. Vern noted as energetic Ace seem to be trying to give him pointers and brotherly he talked him through the lesson.

After much preparation, Vern was ready, he hit the white ball and all the other balls scattered around the table, some going into the holes. Ace told him the different angles to look for the get more balls into the holes. After a couple of strikes, Vern manage to get most of the balls into the holes when accidently got the white ball to go into one of the holes too.

"Aww man." Vern whined as he put his cue down. Ace patted him on the shoulder.

"Not bad for a beginner," Ace said. "Wanna do another game?" But before Vern could even answer, the bartender came over to them with their drinks.

"Your drinks gentleman." Jimmy told them, placing their drinks down. Both boys thanked him and sat down, taking some sips.

"So, you having fun so far?" Ace coolly asked him.

"Yeah, it's been a really good time." Vern answered, taking another sip.

"I bet it's been more fun than all the times you spent with those faggots you call friends." Vern glared at him.

"Don't talk about my friends that way, they're good guys." Vern defended. Ace just raised an eyebrow and snickered.

"Really, cuz I've seen the way those guys treat you, and let me tell you, any of them were caught talking to ME that way, I beat the shit out of them." Ace stated, talking another gulp of his beer.

"I know the guys make cracks about me all the time, but hey, what can I say they're my friends. And friends make cracks about each other all the time, but I know that no matter what, they have my back and I have theirs'."

"Oh, so you had their back when you ran away like a little pussy back at the whole Browers thing?" Ace asked while raising an eyebrow? Vern nearly choked on his root beer.

"That's not fair, I only ran away because Billy tried to hide me!" Vern protested as Ace just laughed at him.

"But seriously, you really stick to those guys no matter what?" Ace asked, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Yeah, friends stick together, don't yours?" Vern asked him. Ace just rolled his eyes.

"T'ch, you think those guys are my friends?" Ace looked him in the eye, as if daring him. "Those guys only hang out with me to either look cool or because no one else would take them. They're pretty just like dogs who do whatever I say. If I were to leave one day, they would have no idea what to do with themselves. And the one time I did leave town for a few days…" Ace just shook his head as if he was remembering an event that had took place.

After finishing their drinks, Ace and Vern paid off Jimmy, and left the bar to take a walk around town.

"Hey Ace, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," Vern turned his head to look at him, "Why do you pick on us so much? What did we ever do to you?" Ace paused in mid-step and actually rubbed his chin as if in deep thought.

"Why? Well, I guess it's all because…" But unfortunately, Vern never got his answer as a couple of loud noisy trucks drove by, muting Ace's answer.

* * *

Weeks had passed in Castle Rock and to say Ace's and Vern's odd friendship had raised a few eyebrows would be an understatement. Who would have ever thought Castle Rock's resident hood and the portly Tessio boy being buddy-buddy? Hard to believe, especially their closes friends….

* * *

"Come on guys, let me in!" Vern called out from under the tree house. He had been knocking under there for past few minutes.

"Traitor!" He heard Teddy call from above the door.

"Guys!" Vern called out while feverously knocking the door.

"Come on, let's just let him in." He heard Gordie say. Eventually he heard the table being moved off the trapdoor and opened up letting him through. When Vern got inside, he saw Teddy, Gordie, and Chris giving him cold stares.

"Guys—"

"Traitor." Teddy muttered.

"But—"

"Traitor."

"I—"

"Traitor!"

"Shut up Teddy." Chris told Teddy, effectively silencing him. "But seriously Vern, why are you hanging out with Ace? Did you seriously forget everything that asshole done to us?" Chris questioned him. Vern just looked down.

"He's actually not that bad a guy once you get to know him." Vern said as he looked up, seeing the other three just roll their eyes. 'Look guys, Ace said he wants me to invite you guys over to his house for a barbeque he's having, what do you say?" The other three looked unsure before eventually agreeing. "See guys, you won't be disappointed, sincerely."

* * *

"Why my brother?" An upset Billy asked Ace at the Cobras' hangout. "Why my brother?" Ace just smirked at this.

"What the matter with you Billy, jealous?" Ace snickered at this, and looked around to see if his fellow Cobras would snicker too, but none did. "Look you all, I have my reasons, okay? Now let the grill ready, shall we?"

* * *

The sun was starting to set and just as promise, the boys were to the Merrill resident for a barbeque. When they got, they went to the backyard and saw various Cobras hanging around the place with Ace at the grill, flipping burgers. Ace looked up from the grill and smiled, which was really off-putting to Chris, Teddy, and Gordie.

"Howdy boys, glad you could make it." Ace greeted them.

"Yeah…." Gordie trailed off, still feeling like something wasn't right.

"Come have a seat, burgers will be ready in a few." Ace motioned to the direction of the chairs with his spatula. Gordie, Teddy, and Chris walked over to the chairs and were about to reach when the other Cobras grabbed them and tackled down to the ground. "Get nice and comfortable."

"Ace?" Vern asked, seeing him smirk.

"A knew this was a trap!" Teddy exclaimed as he and Gordie and Chris tried to struggle free.

"Ace?" Vern asked again, Ace ignored him.

"Now I told you I get you all back for that whole Ray Browers thing, didn't I boys?" Ace told them, then snapped his fingers, signaling the other Cobras to lift them up, with their arms still forcibly behind their backs.

"Ace, what's going on?! Ace!" Vern stood in front of him, a look of hopelessness on his face. When Ace didn't say anything, Vern grabbed him the ends of his shirt and violently shook him. "Answer me, come on!" Vern demanded in a voice that was probably suppose to sound dramatic, but actually sounded whiny. Ace sighed.

"Alright, I was originally planning this whole barbeque to lure your friends here to trap them and beat the shit out of them for the whole Browers thing," Ace explained, then his features started to soften, "But… these past few weeks… you showed me true friendship and I realized… that was all I ever wanted." Ace explained to him, a warm smile on his face.

"Really?" Vern squeaked, his eyes lighting up with excitement… but then that excitement died when he saw Ace's smile twist into a nasty sneer.

"Fuck no." Ace simply said, then laugh in Vern's face. Soon, the other Cobras joined, creating a chorus of laughter. Looking around, then looking at Ace, Vern did the only thing he could do at the moment.

Kick the jerk in the balls.

Reeling in pain, Ace slouched down, the other Cobras staring at the scene in shock. The boys were this time to stomp on theirs foots, causing the other Cobras to jump up and down in pain, and run away from the place, hooting and hollering.

"Way to go Verno!" Teddy congratulated him, patting him on the shoulder, "Now let's get the fuck out of here." And they did, but then Vern stop momentarily to turn around and take one last look at Ace.

For a brief moment, Vern could have sworn he saw a look of regret on Ace's face, but just decided that it was just his imagination, and ran off to catch up with the others.

**The End.**

A/N: Eh, felt like I ran out of steam towards to end, but I still like how this turned out.


End file.
